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    US government reportedly moves Bitcoin seized from Silk Road, sparking sale speculation

    The account performed a minor transaction of approximately $65 to a deposit address at Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) Global Inc.’s Coinbase Prime unit, as noted by Arkham Intelligence Inc. In total, transfers amounting to roughly $131 million to Coinbase were recorded on Tuesday, with a significant portion being redirected to other addresses linked to the U.S. government, according to the firm’s analysis.”This appears to be a test transaction from the U.S. government,” analysts noted, regarding the $65 transaction. “The small amount is being sent to Coinbase Prime, while the large amount is being credited back to the U.S. government as a ‘change output.’ Most likely, they will follow up by sending a larger (possibly the full) amount to Coinbase Prime, having confirmed the test transaction arrived at its intended destination.”Afterward, further transactions saw around 2,000 Bitcoin being consolidated from several government addresses and moved to Coinbase, according to Flipside Crypto. While digital wallets typically maintain anonymity, these transactions are closely monitored by market participants due to their potential to influence Bitcoin’s market price. The U.S. government has previously liquidated portions of its Silk Road Bitcoin holdings, such as through auctions. The account involved in Tuesday’s transactions originally contained 30,174 Bitcoin.The Silk Road platform, which was shut down by the government in 2013, enabled users to purchase illicit goods ranging from narcotics to counterfeit documents using BTC. At the time of its closure, federal agents confiscated Bitcoin valued at $3.6 million, which has since surged to billions of dollars as a result of the cryptocurrency’s rally. More

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    BitVM-Based Bitlayer, a Leading Bitcoin L2, Nets $5M in Funding, Unveils $50M ‘Ready Player One’ Program

    Bitlayer Labs, the first Bitcoin Layer 2 solution based on BitVM, announced a seed round of $5M led by Framework Ventures and ABCDE Capital, participation by StarkWare, OKX Ventures, Alliance DAO, UTXO Management, Asymmetric Capital and many more. The announcement comes as Bitlayer prepares the launch of its open-incentive program Ready Player One, inviting developers worldwide to augment, enhance, and build on the protocol.Bitlayer Labs, the developer of Bitcoin Layer 2 protocol Bitlayer, announced today the close of a $5 million seed funding round at an $80 million valuation, driving a vision to become the computation layer of Bitcoin.Investors & Ecosystem PartnersBlockchain-based venture firms Framework Ventures and ABCDE Capital led the round, with participation from StarkWare, OKX Ventures, Alliance DAO, UTXO Management, Asymmetric Capital, Kenetic Capital, Kestrel, Global Coin Research, Pivot Global, and Web3Port. Many other incredible investors added value to the seed round.Prominent angel investors including Messari CEO Ryan Selkis, Messari co-founder Dan McArdle, Asymmetric Capital founder Dan Held, Hacken CEO Dyma, Sky Mavis CEO Trung and CTO Andy, and Kyber Network founder Loi Luu, among others, joined in capitalizing the round.Bitlayer’s seed round was delivered soaring value-add support from ecosystem partners including Hacken, AWS Cloud, Ankr, Polyhedra, Babylon, Particle Network, Meson, Nubit, BitSmiley, TokenPocket, Xverse, Flash Protocol, Umoja.xyz, RunesTerminal, and more.The Bitlayer NetworkBitlayer is the first Bitcoin Layer 2 network based on BitVM, offering Bitcoin-equivalent security and Turing completeness. The protocol aims to build a more scalable and interconnected Bitcoin ecosystem.The securing of new capital pushes Bitlayer’s lead in paving the way for more Bitcoin Layer 2 use cases, a race that will propel Bitcoin to prevail over other blockchains in size, scalability, and security. The fund will also enable Bitlayer to grow its team by hiring across business development and engineering faculties to support global expansion efforts.Investment firms are increasingly optimistic about the Bitcoin ecosystem as Bitlayer is rapidly gaining prominence, capturing the industry’s attention.Investor RemarksReady Player One– Ecosystem Incentive ProgramTo accelerate ecosystem development and incentivize projects to deploy on the Bitlayer mainnet, Bitlayer is launching a series of ecosystem incentive programs– starting with the first event, Ready Player One.The campaign is an open incentive program designed to distribute token rewards valued at over $50M to protocols and teams that deploy to the Bitlayer mainnet and demonstrate exceptional performance. Bitlayer’s growth is accelerating, urging strong projects to join its ecosystem to grow the protocol in exponential ways.Bitlayer commits to providing comprehensive ecosystem support for all projects, offering the following resources to builders:About BitlayerBitlayer is the first Bitcoin Layer 2 network based on BitVM, offering Bitcoin-equivalent security and Turing-completeness. Bitlayer is committed to becoming the computation layer for Bitcoin. It introduces ultra-scalability and inherits Bitcoin’s L1 security, providing users with high throughput and a low-cost transaction experience.More on Bitlayer:Website | Twitter | Discord | Medium | GithubContactDigital Marketing ManagerSky [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

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    TeraWulf Issues March 2024 Production and Operations Update

    March 2024 Production and Operations Highlights Management Commentary“In addition to replacing older generation miners, during March, Lake Mariner implemented third-party firmware across a significant portion of our mining fleet, with initial results indicating a potential 10% efficiency improvement,” said Sean Farrell, SVP of Operations at TeraWulf.Farrell further stated, “Additionally, Lake Mariner continues to actively engage in demand response programs. Our recent expansion of qualified capacity within the NYISO Operating Reserve program reflects our ongoing commitment to operational efficiency and resource management.”Production and Operations UpdateOperational infrastructure capacity consists of 160 MW at the Lake Mariner facility and 50 MW at the Nautilus Cryptomine, resulting in a combined self-mining hash rate of 8 EH/s as of the end of March. On average, the mining facilities operated at 95% of their installed nameplate capacity, attributed to proactive demand response participation, performance optimization efforts, and systematic maintenance procedures.Construction of Building 4 (35 MW) at the Lake Mariner facility remains on track to be completed by mid-2024, which is expected to increase TeraWulf’s total operational capacity to approximately 10 EH/s.As previously announced, the Company is pursuing a potential large-scale, high-performance computing (HPC) project at the Lake Mariner site and has committed an initial 2 MW block of power, capable of deploying thousands of the latest generation graphics processing units (GPUs). More

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    YakDAO Debuts $YAKS Token on Arbitrum, Innovating DeFi Real Estate

    In a significant move within the decentralized finance (DeFi) real estate landscape, YakDAO is set to revolutionize the ecosystem with the launch of its native token, $YAKS, on the Arbitrum network, available for trading on Uniswap starting April 2, 2024. This launch is not just a testament to YakDAO’s innovative approach in DeFi but also highlights its pre-sale success and strategic partnerships aimed at fostering strength, resilience, and long-term success.Innovative Integration of Real-World Assets:YakDAO has ventured into integrating real-world assets (RWAs) into its ecosystem, with its first property in Brevard, NC. This venture according to the team, not only showcases YakDAO’s innovative spirit but also marks a significant step towards bridging the gap between decentralized finance and real world assets. The YakDAO’s Brevard property has begun generating revenue through bookings, illustrating how Real World Assets can play a role in the DeFi sector and contribute to the utility of the $YAKS token.$YAKS Pre-sale milestones include:AboutYakDAO aims to revolutionize the fusion of luxurious glamping experiences with the dynamic world of decentralized finance (DeFi). Launched in 2022 to establish a global network of upscale camping sites, YakDAO blends the beauty of nature with the power of digital finance, starting with a successful glampsite acquired in 2022 as a testament to this innovative model.ContactCMOBrent [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

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    DroppGroup and UC Berkeley collaborate on AI-generated digital media benchmark

    The benchmarking initiative is set to start in the first quarter of 2024, and it builds upon the existing partnership between droppGroup and UC Berkeley established in 2022. The goal is to not only address a gap in standardization but also to establish a benchmark for systematically assessing the capabilities of generative AI.The system, known for producing AI-generated multimedia content such as 3D models, XR experiences, and metaverse environments, will be assessed through a newly developed framework. This initiative marks the first industry-standard benchmark aimed at providing a standardized evaluation of such systems based on performance, safety, efficiency, and user interaction metrics.droppGroup is a Web3 development firm focused on creating software solutions across various domains, including AI, machine learning, AR, VR, and cryptocurrency.The collaboration addresses the rapid growth of the generative AI market, which is expected to reach nearly $52 billion by 2028, up from $11.3 billion in 2023. The sector’s expansion is fueled by the adoption of large language models (LLMs) and GMI for various applications, including text-based tasks and media content creation.droppGroup’s platform droppPhygital uses GMI via its proprietary system, droppaMiGO, to transform inputs like photographs into complex 3D models and immersive digital environments. This process reduces the time and expertise required for content creation, shifting from traditional digital content creation processes to an AI-driven approach. The collaboration with UC Berkeley’s Launchpad aims to develop a benchmark for this technology, addressing the current lack of standardization in automatic 3D content generation and modeling.Christopher Kelly, president and co-founder of droppGroup commented: “Combining UC Berkeley’s academic excellence and research capabilities with droppGroup’s cutting-edge technology and real-world applications, this collaboration is set to push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI and machine learning. It demonstrates a successful model for how such collaborations can accelerate technological advancements and applications in society.”Launchpad is a UC Berkeley-based technology club that engages in machine learning and artificial intelligence projects to solve real-world problems and distributes ML/AI knowledge through community events and workshops. More

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    DOGLNAUT Launches on Solana with Charitable Focus

    Among the latest entrants to the crypto MEME token space on Solana is DOGLNAUT, utilizing useful tokenomics, a commitment to charitable giving, a fair launch approach, and deflationary mechanisms to take MEME tokens to the next level. DOGLNAUT is excited to embark on a journey of influence in the market’s crypto galaxy.Fair Launch and Presale LaunchIn a realm often marred by scams and rug pulls, DOGLNAUT upholds the principles of fairness through its launch approach. The highly anticipated presale is set to start on April 5. It will end on April 19, with the Liquidity Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) opening on April 20, allowing enthusiasts to join the cosmic journey. Lasting two weeks, the presale will ensure ample time for early supporters to secure their place in the DOGLNAUT community.To foster inclusivity and deter whale manipulation, the presale imposes a minimum purchase amount of 0.5 SOL and a maximum purchase amount of 5 SOL. This approach not only helps mitigate the risk of large investors dominating the market but also helps ensure a level playing field, allowing individuals of all backgrounds to participate and contribute to the project’s success.Innovative TokenomicsDOGLNAUT’S innovative tokenomics are designed to foster liquidity, sustainability, and engage in charitable giving. Of the total 1,000,000,000 supply, 45% will be reserved for the presale, and 45% will be allocated to the liquidity pool.Of the remaining 10%, 5% of the tokens will be earmarked for charitable donations but will essentially be “softlocked” until they reach a value that can maximize the amount of contributions that can be made, in order to further DOGLNAUT’s mission of making a positive impact. The remaining 5% will be dedicated to marketing, hiring, and other expenses which are crucial to amplifying DOGLNAUT’s visibility and reach.Community Engagement and Charitable GivingFrom the start, DOGLNAUT hopes to create a vibrant and passionate community, united by a shared vision of technology and philanthropy. DOGLNAUT’s innovative tokenomics, built on the Token-2022 standard, help ensure sustainable tokenomics and ongoing support for charitable initiatives, with a miniscule fee of 2% on transactions.This fee is distributed into a pool which will be used 0.5% for advertising, 0.5% for replenishing the liquidity pool, 0.5% for donations, and the remaining 0.5% will be burned, creating a sustainable and deflationary ecosystem that benefits both investors and society. This deflationary pressure inherently increases the scarcity of DOGL tokens, incentivizing community members to HODL their DOGL, fostering a robust and sustainable token economy.The FutureAs DOGLNAUT prepares for its maiden voyage into the cryptoverse, The DOGLNAUT team is excited to begin our journey with a fun and light-hearted MEME to Solana. With other projects on the horizon, sustainable tokenomics, a commitment to charitable giving, and a vibrant community, DOGLNAUT aims to make a lasting impact on the Solana landscape and beyond.ABOUT USWe are a dedicated collective of developers, united in our mission to harness the power of memes for positive societal impact. Our team boasts a diverse array of talents, from web development to traditional finance, and we’re passionate about leveraging the Solana blockchain and the innovative Token-2022 standard. Our goal is to create a dynamic, sustainable ecosystem with robust tokenomics designed for longevity. Beyond fueling a MEME token with community creativity and strength, we’re committed to building a platform that fosters meaningful engagement and delivers impactful outcomes. Our vision extends to establishing a DAO, empowering our community to direct our efforts towards the most impactful causes. Together, we’re not just envisioning change; we’re coding it into reality.Website | Telegram | [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

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    Peercoin Foundation is on the Verge of Cracking Off-Chain Smart Contracts

    Ever since the popularization of smart contracts, the industry standard is for contracts to be hosted and executed by the blockchain itself. However, the Peercoin Foundation announced in a recent blog article that it has been experimenting with a secure and decentralized way of moving the execution of smart contracts off the blockchain. Doing this would provide massive benefits like increased privacy, lower fees and improved scalability.With this new off-chain technology, the Peercoin Flutter app will be able to handle various decentralized applications, including prediction markets, financial contracts like binary options, futures, as well as any other type of contract where the outcome can be determined based on data provided by an oracle, such as sports betting, election results, and more.Peercoin’s second layer is imagined as a collection of independent dApps with the app logic being executed off-chain. Final balances are then settled on Peercoin’s mainnet. To summarize, by moving the execution of smart contracts off-chain, the following favorable traits are achieved:The blog article suggests that this project has been ongoing for over a year now, and this week marks the first successful test of threshold signature support on Peercoin’s testnet, one of the technologies necessary to make the system work.How Does it Work?The plan is to use the following combination of technologies:Traditionally, the main issue with DLCs has been reliance on centralized oracles, which increases the risks and decreases the trust in such systems. However, by combining the above technologies, the problem is solved by introducing the concept of distributed oracles (also called an oracle swarm).A swarm tackles the problem, as the oracle is no longer a single party that must be trusted, but an entire network of potentially hundreds of participants with internal consensus and governance. If enough participants of the swarm agree on the outcome of an event, they can construct and publish the information that proves they, as a collective, agree on that outcome. This is peer to peer consensus in its true sense.Ease of Use with Mobile IntegrationTechnologies like threshold signatures, distributed oracles and off-chain contracts won’t really become meaningful unless they’re easy for everyone to use on the go in their daily lives. This means hiding all the complicated tech stuff under the hood and presenting it in a simple and clear interface to users.Knowing this, the plan is to integrate all these technologies into the Peercoin Flutter Mobile Wallet. The mobile wallet is being developed to allow its users the ability to create and interact with discreet log contracts (DLCs) and form oracle swarms.About Peercoin FoundationThe Peercoin Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2018 with the simple mission of promoting and supporting the continued education, development, and overall progression of the Peercoin project. The Foundation seeks to empower the Peercoin community by providing the tools necessary to perpetuate Peercoin’s long-standing reputation. The Peercoin blockchain network and the Peercoin project in general is an open-source decentralized ledger, with no governing body. The Peercoin Foundation makes no claims over intellectual property related to the Peercoin project, unless explicitly stated otherwise.The Foundation is funded solely by community donations.Official Links:Website – https://www.peercoin.net/Foundation – https://www.peercoin.net/foundationTwitter – https://twitter.com/PeercoinPPCBlog – https://www.peercoin.net/blog/Forum – https://talk.peercoin.net/Telegram – https://telegram.me/peercoinDiscord – https://discord.gg/m294ReVContact Information:Email: [email protected]: The information contained in this press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a solicitation to purchase or invest. The price of Peercoin can be extremely volatile and can fluctuate rapidly in response to market conditions. Before making any investment decisions, you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and tolerance for risk.ContactPeercoin [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

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    Avail Partners With dWallet Network To Introduce Native Bitcoin Rollups to Web3

    Following the integration, users will be able to natively manage their BTC on any rollup in the Avail ecosystem without relinquishing control over their digital assetsAvail, a modular blockchain solution designed to unify Web3 and optimize data availability (DA) for highly scalable and customizable applications, has partnered with dWallet Network, a pioneering non-collusive, decentralized multi-chain layer, to bring programmable native Bitcoin to rollups in the Avail ecosystem.Leveraging the newly unveiled dWallet primitive, smart contracts using rollups built on Avail DA will be able to programmatically manage native BTC for the first time while preserving user ownership. This marks a paradigm shift from emerging Bitcoin L2 solutions that predominantly rely on collusive and often risky cross-chain solutions, such as bridges, where the user must sacrifice ownership of their BTC.The integration with the dWallet Network, coupled with the ability to control dWallets from a smart contract on any Avail rollup, was made possible through Avail Nexus, a zero-knowledge coordination rollup embedding validity-proof based light clients and execution proof aggregation. This pivotal move towards the unification of Web3 will also enable developers to power Avail Fusion’s borrowed security from native assets of the most mature ecosystems, including BTC, ETH, and others.Furthermore, the dWallet Network integration will facilitate the Fusion Security model when it goes live, empowering users to securely hold their BTC, ETH, or other assets in dWallets and stake them to bolster the safety of the Avail ecosystem, all while maintaining ownership of their native assets. This introduces the first native multi-chain staking/restaking solution aimed at securing the consensus of a different blockchain.To implement the dWallet primitive, the dWallet Network utilizes 2PC-MPC, the state-of-the-art protocol invented by its team. This industry-first multiparty protocol enables the generation of an ECDSA signature in a non-collusive way, requiring participation from both the end-user and a significant number of nodes, the number of which could potentially reach hundreds or thousands.dWallet technology allows a Solidity smart contract on an Avail rollup to create Bitcoin signatures and enables developers to manage a dWallet. Meanwhile, the dWallet Network mandates approval from the Avail rollup smart contract for logic enforcement, requiring users to finalize the signature to prevent collusion and asset theft. Whether for Web3 applications in custody, DeFi, DAOs, gaming, or other domains, any protocol on an Avail rollup can leverage dWallets for enhanced functionality and secure interoperability.Avail DA stands as the initial cornerstone element of the Avail trinity, offering expansive blobspace for rollup developers and serving as a foundational layer for a diverse and vibrant ecosystem of rollups. Avail Nexus, aimed at unifying the ecosystem beyond the blockchains built atop Avail’s DA layer, employs Avail DA as the trust anchor for ecosystem-wide coordination. Lastly, Fusion Security will offer additional protection to an expanding network of rollups and blockchains, thus enhancing Avail’s consensus mechanism. Supercharging the Avail trinity with dWallets accelerates the unification of Web3, addresses issues of fragmentation, and paves the way for a completely integrated, secure, and native experience across all Web3 ecosystems.About Dwallet NetworkdWallet Network is the home of dWallets – programmable and transferable signing mechanisms that live on-chain. dWallet Network empowers builders on L1s and L2s to utilize dWallets as a building block for managing assets & enforcing logic across all of Web3 in a decentralized and noncollusive way.For more information, users can visit: https://dwallet.io/About AvailAvail is building a unification layer to solve rollup fragmentation and scalability. Avail addresses this from first principles with its three phase roadmap, the Avail Trinity. Starting with Avail DA, the validity proven data availability layer that scales with demand, followed by Nexus for permissionless unification, and Fusion for shared security. Blockchain and rollup developers can submit transaction data to Avail DA today and inherit the security and benefits of Avail’s KZG commitments and light clients with data availability sampling. Start building today, because the unification of web3 is coming!For more information, users can visit: https://www.availproject.org/ContactSiva SagirajuMarketing leaddWallet [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More